April 2018 Issue
CorD 162
Jordi Bertomeu, President, Chairman, And CEO Of The EuroLeague Basketball Company
Basketball Is No Ordinary Sport In Serbia
In this exclusive interview for CorD, the top man of basketball’s EuroLeague talks about the “Final Four” tournament, which is to be held in Belgrade next month, the 18th birthday of the organisation he heads, expansion plans, the Euro Cup, relations with FIBA, the World Basketball Federation, and much more
Ambassador Andrea Orizio, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia
Strong Democracy Implies Media Freedom
The way ahead includes empowering media to deal with violations of media freedom and freedom of expression, promoting digital and media literacy, fostering the right to freedom of information and encouraging media diversity also in national minority languages – Andrea Orizio
Ivan Medenica, Artistic Director Of BITEF
Is BITEF Returning To The World Scene?
“Opening Bitef with none other than the play Mount Olympus, which is currently one of the most famous in the world, truly reaffirms what Bitef is and its grandeur in every sense of the word.”
Ana Tozzi, Foreign Investors Council (FIC) Executive Director
Digitisation Supports Key Reform
One topic clearly stood out as the unifying factor mentioned at all KBF panels as a game changer – digitisation. One could find numerous reasons why digitisation is in focus. In the view of the FIC, the key reason is that digitisation could turn out to be a universal recipe for treating the two biggest challenges in Serbia
Jelena Pavlović, President Of The Amcham Board Of Governors, CEO Of Philip Morris Services
Serbia Must Go Digital
One word – digitisation - resonated during this year’s Kopaonik Business Forum, both in panels and in informal discussions. We could hear that businesses, the media, governments etc. all should go, or are already going, digital
Dragoljub Damljanović, President Of The French-Serbian Chamber Of Commerce (CCFS), Energy & Field Services VP SEE Europe Operations Schneider Electric
Clearly Established Diagnosis Of The Serbian Economy
The task of the forum’s participants is to give “diagnoses that someone needs to harmonise and guide in the right direction” – this is one of the theses that could be heard after the Kopaonik Business Forum. The one who should do that has long since ceased to be just the state, but rather is all of us who come from the economy
Aleksandar Ružević, Chairman of the NALED Management Board and General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Serbia and Montenegro
Who Are Tax Heroes?
The Kopaonik Business Forum confirmed that the reform agenda has been well established and that it features the most important issues for improving conditions for doing business – the corporatisation of public companies, the development of eGovernment and digitisation, infrastructure, rule of law, education etc
Jasmina Vignjević, President Of The Nordic Business Alliance, Government Affairs Manager At Telenor Serbia
Changing The Mindset Towards Digital Society
Due to my belief that digitisation and an innovation-driven economy represent the greatest potentials for growth, I would highlight the panel organised by the Digital Serbia Initiative. This panel addressed many opportunities brought by the digital economy, three of which I will point out here
Majo Mićović, President Of The Swiss-Serbian Chamber Of Commerce (SSCC), General Manager Of Sky Express D.O.O.
Investing In Young & Talented People
Innovation, as a key driver of local economic growth and competitiveness, is one of the ideas of the Kopaonik Business Forum that could become a game-changer for the Serbian economy
Goran Pekez, President Of The Japanese Business Alliance In Serbia – JBAS; Corporate Affairs And Communications Director For The Adriatic Region At JT International A.D. Senta
Public Sector Reforms Should Be Faster
This year’s Kopaonik Business Forum was one of the most successful gatherings to date. Some very good conclusions were drawn related to fiscal consolidation, sustainable growth and the macroeconomic conditions in the country
Ann Pešić, President Of The International Women’s Club (IWC) And Irish Honorary Consul
Respecting Diversity Through Cooperation
The International Women’s Club has been in existence for many years and has brought together women who are in Belgrade temporarily, either as members of the diplomatic community or for business reasons, and a number of local women who may have spent many years living abroad and have come back to live in Serbia and wish to keep those international connections
Ursula Läubli, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office Serbia, Counsellor, Embassy Of Switzerland
Four More Years Of Cooperation
Swiss Cooperation Strategy Serbia 2018-2021
Aaron Angell At GoMA
Angell’s Playground At GoMA
For the exhibition which closed last month, Aaron Angell created an interior that mines various historical points and hobbyist cultures partly in response to the complex history of GoMA’s site as a former private residence, garden and Neoclassical fancy
Predrag Ejdus, Actor
Negative Selection Is Evident In Culture
This celebrated Yugoslav and Serbian actor will this year commemorate half a century of performing on stage, film and television with a great exhibition at the Museum of Theatrical Arts in Belgrade. He says of himself that he has two vices – smoking and acting. He can’t give up either of them, as they both bring him great satisfaction
Dejan Nikolić, Director of the Belgrade Marathon
Athletics Association of Serbia Obstructs Country’s Biggest Athletics Event
Last year's 30th Belgrade Marathon broke all previous records on its new course - 7,000 participants from 70 countries – while beautifying the event with selected words were legends of world sport Carl Lewis, Roza Mota, Galina Chistyakova, Bob Beamon, Mike Powell, Lasse Virén, Kevin Young and Javier Sotomayor. Not even the Olympic Games has so many “ambassadors” of this format have no Olympic Games